Cecilia Brionez

She was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up alongside her four sisters and brother in Juárez, Mexico. She often reminisced about her childhood there, about the beautiful land her family lived on, the fruit trees she ate from freely, the German shepherd dogs that roamed their property, and the roosters her father raised. These stories painted a picture of a childhood rooted in freedom, beauty, and simplicity, and they were among our favorites to hear.

She was fiercely independent and a hard worker. As a teenager, Cecilia crossed the border into El Paso, Texas, where she worked at an elegant department store called The White House, surrounded by fine clothing and sophistication. It was a fitting place for her, Cecilia and her sisters were always dressed to impress-beautiful, intelligent, and full of personality and charm.

In her early twenties, Cecilia returned to Los Angeles, where much of her extended family lived, and began a trailblazing life marked by independence, romance, and family.

She was the proud mother of two children, her daughter Sonia and her son Richard, and the beloved grandmother of nine grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. She adored being a grandmother and was deeply involved in her grandchildren’s lives and childhoods. To them, she was loving, full of life, and always on the move. Some of their favorite phrases of hers were, “This train is leaving,” or simply, “Vámonos!”—a perfect reflection of her busy spirit and constant momentum.

Cecilia lived a healthy and active life. She loved going for walks, gardening, and caring for plants, and she was especially known for growing the most beautiful roses. Her mornings always began with a smoothie, and everyone knew that Grandma’s refrigerator would be stocked with freshly sliced cantaloupe.

She was also a woman of impeccable taste. Shopping was one of her great joys, she was a true professional who believed in quality, always choosing the real thing, especially real leather. She wanted the best for everyone, and she also wanted everyone to look their best. If you needed lipstick, she would tell you. If your shoes weren’t quite right, she would tell you that too, and we all loved her for it.

Cecilia was deeply spiritual and a devoted follower of Christ. She was Catholic for the first half of her life, and later, after her daughter Sonia married, she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her faith was central to who she was, and she faithfully honored the covenants she made with her Heavenly Father.

She spent her senior years joyfully married to Emilio, to whom she was sealed in the San Diego Temple in December of 2000. Together, they traveled the world, and Cecilia delighted in capturing memories of their adventures, taking photographs everywhere they went.

Cecilia lived a beautiful and fulfilling life, one filled with faith, family, love, and purpose. She leaves behind a lasting legacy carried forward by the generations she nurtured and the example she set.

One of the greatest blessings of Cecilia’s long and fulfilling life was the opportunity for her great-grandchildren to know her, love her, and be shaped by her presence. We are forever grateful for the sweet moments, cherished memories, and lasting bonds her life so generously gave us.

Though she will be deeply missed, we find peace in knowing she is at rest and reunited with loved ones, embraced by the Savior she so faithfully followed.